SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA / A news summary | The Local Review / DEVELOPMENTS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY

LAPD Plans Toll-Free Number to Ease 911 Calls

LOS ANGELES — By next spring, residents who want to call Los Angeles police about a cat stuck in a tree, to complain about a parking ticket or any other nonemergency matter will be able to dial a toll-free number.

The City Council allocated $415,000 this week for creation of a toll-free Los Angeles Police Department number.

The LAPD has eight nonemergency phone numbers, said Lt. John Egan, who is overseeing the effort. The old LAPD numbers will eventually be reduced.

Egan declined to say what acronym the number would spell on a telephone keypad, but said it would be easy to remember. "It's going to be kind of catchy," he said.

The new number will help with the high volume of nonemergency calls to the city's 911 system. An October report by the city's chief legislative analyst and administrative officer estimated that 80% of 911 calls are not for life-threatening emergencies.